Photo courtesy of Marco Fieber via Flickr.
On Dec. 1, Russian police raided various LGBTQ venues in Moscow following a ruling by Russia’s top court that labeled the LGBTQ movement as an “extremist organization.” The decision has been strongly criticized by the European Union and activists.
By Mira Crane ’27
Contributing Writer
Content warning: This article discusses homophobia and transphobia.
The day after Russia’s top court labeled the “LGBTQ movement” an extremist organization and moved to ban the “international LGBTQ movement” in the country, Russian police raided gay venues and bars in Moscow, CNN reported.
Places raided on Dec. 1 included a male sauna, a nightclub and a bar that has been the host of LGBTQ parties, AP News reported. Using the pretext of a drug raid, police checked club attendees' documents and took pictures of their passports. However, according to eyewitnesses, managers of the venues were able to warn clubgoers before the police arrived, AP News reported.
BBC News reported that photos and videos are circulating on social media with police officers and a police van outside one of the clubs that was raided. Still, Russian officials have made no comments on the raids, and there is no mention of the raids in state media, according to CNN.
The Russian Supreme Court’s decision to ban the “international LGBTQ movement” in the country has been strongly criticized by the European Union, according to POLITICO. As AP News reported, activists have emphasized that the vagueness of the lawsuit means authorities can crack down on any group or individual they believe to be part of the LGBTQ movement, and the court rebuffed any LGBTQ activists who attempted to become a party in the case. As reported by BBC News, a motion from the Russian Ministry of Justice led to the ruling.
Human rights lawyer Max Olenichev explained to AP News that the new ruling also effectively bans LGBTQ people from organizing to defend their rights. Activists have also noted that the lawsuit was filed against the “LGBTQ movement” in general, despite it not being an official entity, according to the same article. Prominent Russian human rights groups filed a document before the ruling, terming the lawsuit discriminatory and arguing that it violates Russia’s constitution.
AP News reported that the court's ruling has led to several LGBTQ venues closing down. The St. Petersburg gay club, Central Station, explained its decision to close down by explaining that the owner could not let the bar operate under the new law. According to Olga Baranova, the director of the Moscow Community Center for LGBTQ+ Initiatives, people will contemplate leaving the country to get out before the ruling affects them directly, AP News reported.
This is not the first anti-LGBTQ action taken by the Russian government, and this ruling is part of a recent trend, although AP News reported that Russian authorities deny there is anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
According to BBC News, a Russian law was passed in 2013 outlawing “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” specifically in connection to minors, although it was extended to all age groups last year. One Russian TV channel took out the color from a rainbow in a K-pop video earlier this month out of fear of violating this law. The new law was part of a crackdown on human rights and free speech in response to Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, CNN reported.
According to AP News, same-sex marriage was outlawed in 2020 as part of constitutional reforms that extended Putin’s presidency. Another law was passed this year that bans gender-affirming care and any gender-transitioning procedures for transgender people in Russia. It also bans them from legally changing their gender identification on documents.
According to CNN, these laws are part of Putin’s attempt to cast himself as fighting against the influence of the liberal West and upholding traditional moral values. In an interview with AP News, Baranova explained, “It is clear for us that they’re once again making [the LGBTQ community] out as a domestic enemy to shift the focus from all the other problems that are in abundance in Russia.”
“It is clear for us that they’re once again making [the LGBTQ community] out as a domestic enemy to shift the focus from all the other problems that are in abundance in Russia.”
AP News reported that it remains unclear how the newest ruling will restrict LGBTQ activists and symbols in practice, and the fact that the court case is classified serves to heighten the ambiguity. The long-term fallout of the ruling remains to be seen.